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Scope and Contents of the Materials

The documents include Davidson's judicial and business career documents, including documents and correspondence from his land ownership, oil business, judicial cases, bar association correspondence, publications, and the establishment of the Freedoms Foundation and the Josephine Davidson Memorial Chapel. There are also a number of letters, cards, and correspondence between Davidson and his family and friends, as well as a number of documents pertaining to his personal life and the death of his wife.

Biographical Note

Judge T. Whitfield "Whit" Davidson was born in 1876 in Harrison County, Texas, to his parents John Ramson and Sara Josephine Daniels Whitfield. He was admitted to the Texas State Bar in 1903, and began practice. In 1912, he supported Woodrow Wilson's presidential bid as one of the "Immortal Forty." In 1920, he was elected to the state senate, and from 1923 to 1925, served as the state lieutenant governor. From his appointment in 1936 to his retirement in 1965, Davidson served as a district judge for North Texas. Judge Davidson ruled in 1960's Borders v. Rippy case to begin the desegregation process in Dallas. He was married thrice, his last of which was to Beulah Rose Davidson. She has the most extensive records in this collection. He died in 1974 and was buried in the Josephine Davidson Memorial Chapel in Diana, TX.

Administrative Information

Repository:

University of North Texas Special Collections

Accruals:

84-011

Access Restrictions:

Box 4 is restricted due to the presence of personally identifiable information. An archivist will need to review Box 4's contents before it can be used. Please contact the UNT Special Collections department for further information. The rest of the collection is not restricted.

Use Restrictions:

Reproduction and publication of materials in this collection are subject to the policies of the UNT Special Collections department. Copyright restrictions may apply.

Physical Access Note:

This collection is stored off-site and requires a minimum of 24 hours notice prior to use.

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